Wire-feeder



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' 0. J. EBERT.

WIRE FEEDER. I No. 540,543. Y Patented J'une 4, 1895.

QNO Modem 2 sheets-sheet 2. 0. J. EBERT.

WIRE FEEDER.

No. 540,543. Patented June 4, 1895.

| Figi? zga 17 f IMunn" NiTED STAT-ES PATENT Fries.

OTTO J. EBERT, OF BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA.

WIRE-Fenosa.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,543, dated June 4,1895*.

A Application filed January 26, 1895.y Serial No. 536,314. (No model.)

and its object is to provide a new and improved feeding device for suchmachines, which device is comparatively simple and dur` able inconstruction, and arranged to insure a uniform and positive feeding ofone or more wires to facilitate the proper formation of the' wire nails,staples, ac., in the' machine.

The invention consists principally of a spring-pressed pivoted armcarrying at its v free end a grooved Wheel engaging the wire to be fed,and a guide arranged opposite the said wheel, to enable the wire to beclamped between the said guider and the Wheel.

The invention also consists of certain parts kand details, andcombinations of the same, as

Will be hereinafter fully described and then pointed out in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvement arranged with twospring-pressed arms. Fig.

2 is a side elevation of the same with part in,

section. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of part of the arm and itspivot. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the improvement as arranged with asingle arm and bar. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 6 is atransverse section of the arm and its pivot on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5,and Fig. 7 is an enlarged side elevation of a wheel for feeding twowires simultaneously.

The improved wire feeder isrmounted on a reciprocating carriage or baseA, which may be part of the machine for making Wire nails, staples andother articles. On this base A, as shown in Figs. l and 2, are arrangedtwo pivots B and B', disposed vertically and carrying the arms O and Crespectively, provided at their adjacent free ends with wheels D and D',formed with annular grooves for the passage of the wire E, to be fed tothe machine for making nails, staples, dto. The Wheels D and D areprovided with ratchet teeth engaged by pawls F and F' respectively, eachpressed on by a spring F2 so as to hold the free end of the pawl'inengagement with the teeth-of the corresponding wheel D or D.

` The pawls F and F are fulcrumed on the sides of the arms O and'O'respectively, and permit the wheels D and D to rotate in the direction,i of the arrows a' when the base is drawn forward in the direction ofthe arrow b, as indicated in Fig. l, and movement of the wheels D andD'in the inverse direction of the arrows a.' is prevented by the pawls Fand F', at the time the Wheels D D clamp the wire in v:place on thereturn or feeding movementbf kthe base A, the/latter then moving 1n the1nversedirection of the arrow b.

The Wheels D and D' are mounted to turn loosely on shafts G, G', securedin the arms C, C' respectively, and connected at their upper projectinglends with springs H, H' rei spectively, attached to arms I, I',fastened to the pivots B and B' respectively by set screws Now byreference to Fig. 1,' it will be seen that the arms O, O' normally standat an obtuse angle relative to the wire E, and the springs H, H' exertapull o n the said arms to draw or hold the wheels D, D', in firmcontact with the ivire E, at opposite sides thereof. Now when the base Ais drawn in the direction of the arrow b the wheels rotate withoutAmoving the wire, but as soon as the base returns then the wheels firmlyclamp the wire and feed it forward the desired distance for forming thenail, staple or likearticle of the desired length in the machine.

In order to adjust the arms O and C' on their respective pivots B andB', I provide each arm atits pivot end with oppositely arranged screwsO2 and O5 engaging collars G4 held on the pivot pins, the collars beingarranged to slide in suitable bearings in recesses C5 formed in thecorresponding arm C or C'. Now it will be seen that by adjusting the twoscrews C2, O3, the arm O or O maybe shifted onwits pivot B or B', toincrease or diminish the angle in which the two arms stand relative tothe wire E.

As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, a single spring-pressed arm C with awheel D is employed, and the wire E passes on one side through a slot Jin afbar .T held adjustable in a post K, by a set screw K. This bar JIOO in this case performs the same function of a guide or abutment forthe wire E as the wheel D in Figs. l and 2.

The slot J is located directly opposite the annular groove in the wheelD, and one arm of the latter stands at an angle to the other, as will bereadily understood by reference to Fig. 4.

When it is desired to feed two wires simultaneously, then the wheels Dand D are each provided with two or more annular grooves, as plainlyindicated in Fig. 7, each groove forming a passageway for a single wire.

It will be seen that by the arrangement described, any desired number ofwires can be fed simultaneously to a machine, and the wires areuniformly and positively fed to in sure the making of nails of a uniformlength.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination of the support, the arm pivotedthereto, the grooved wheel upon the arm, an arresting device forpreventing the wheel from turning in one direction, and a guide arrangedopposite the Wheel and provided with a groove adapted to register withthe groove of the wheel, substantially as described.

2. The combination ofu the support, the arm pivoted thereto, the groovedwheel on the arm and provided with teeth, an automatically engaged pawlfulcrumed on the arm and bearing against the teeth ot the wheel, and aguide arranged opposite the Wheel and provided with a groove adapted toregister with the groove of the wheel, substantially as described.

3. A wire feeding device, comprising a fixed pivot, an arm heldadjustable thereon and mounted to turn on the pivot, a grooved wheeljournaled in the free end of the said arm, a guide arranged opposite thesaid wheel so that the latter is carried toward or from the guide bythepivotal movement ot the arm, to enable the wire to be clamped betweenthe said guide and wheel a spring pressing on the arm,

'and a spring-pressed pawl in engagement with teeth on the said wheel,substantially as shown and described.

4. In a wire feeder, the combination, with a bar having a groove toengage one side of the wire to be fed, of a grooved wheel engaging theother side of the said Wire, a springpressed arm carrying the saidgrooved wheel, and a pawl engaging the said wheel and fulcrumed on thesaid spring-pressed arm, sub stantially as shown and described.

5. In a Wire feeder, the combination, with a bar having a groove t0engage one side ot the wire to be fed, of a grooved Wheel engaging theother side of the said wire, a springpressed arm carrying the saidgrooved wheel, a pawl engaging the said wheel and fulcrumed on the saidspring-pressed arm, and means for adjusting the said arm and its pivot,as set forth.

6. The combination of the support, the arm pivoted thereto, and mountedto slide on its pivot for adjustment, the grooved wheel upon the arm,and the guide arranged opposite the Wheel and provided with a grooveadapted to register with the groove of the wheel, substantially asdescribed.

7. The combination of the support, the arm mounted to turn on thesupport and to slide longitudinally on its pivot so as to carry the endof the arm toward or from the pivot, the grooved wheel upon the arm, theguide arranged opposite the wheel, 4and means for preventing the wheelfrom turning inone direction, substantially as described.

`OTTO J. EBERT. Witnesses:

JOHN REEVES, JAMES F. MERRIMAN.

Sio

